We are back again with another Right to Repair bill in the Vermont legislature. House Bill 161 is a broad-based bill applying to all digital electronic equipment. The bill also specifically includes forestry and agricultural equipment. The bill has four primary sponsors including three democrats and one republican.
The bill was referred to the House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development. A hearing has been scheduled for April 1st at 9:20 am in that committee. The chair of the committee, Rep. Michael Marcotte (R), is also one of the primary sponsors of the bill. NAEDA has sent our position statement to members of the committee and is lining up to testify on the bill.
As for the substance of the bill, it is different than last year’s legislation in several key ways but still remains problematic. First, the bill does not require dealers to sell parts at cost and there is no mention of fair and reasonable terms for selling parts, tools, documentation and diagnostics. Second, the bill does not include a private cause of action and enforcement is provided by the attorney general.
However, the bill still mandates OEMs allow unfettered access to unlock and reset security related functions. The bill also contains contradicting language that does not adequately protect warranty and recall work. For these reasons, we will be opposing the bill.
